US20060183401A1

US20060183401A1 - Ball toy set

Info

Publication number: US20060183401A1
Application number: US11/169,698
Authority: US
Inventors: Masatoshi Todokoro
Original assignee: Agatsuma Co Ltd
Current assignee: Agatsuma Co Ltd
Priority date: 2005-02-17
Filing date: 2005-06-30
Publication date: 2006-08-17
Also published as: JP3110473U

Abstract

In order to provide a ball toy set which can be played with not only as a stuffed toy but also as a ball and a yo-yo, a soft resin ball toy 3 which can be inflated by introducing air into the interior thereof, a stuffed toy-like cover 4 which can detachably be placed over the exterior side of the ball toy 3 and a yo-yo string 2 which can detachably be connected to the ball toy 3 are made to make up a set, wherein the stuffed toy-like cover 4 is formed by sewing cloth in such a manner as to exhibit the external appearance of a figure as a whole, wherein a ball installation opening 41 is formed in the stuffed toy-like cover 4, wherein a fastener 42 is sewn to a circumferential edge portion of the ball installation opening 41, and wherein a rubber string tying portion 33 is provided on the ball toy 3 in such a manner as to erect therefrom which is formed into a thin sheet-like shape and which has a connecting hole which is opened therein and to which the yo-yo string 2 is tied.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a toy set which can be played with not only as a stuffed toy but also as a ball and a yo-yo.
2. Background Art
Conventionally, there have existed stuffed toys in which a vinyl ball or balloon, in place of a stuffing material such as cotton, is stuffed in the interior thereof. For example, there are raised for example a stuffed toy which incorporates therein a vinyl or rubber air bag which takes the shape of an animal (Japanese Unexamined Utility Model Publication No. 48-18291) and a stuffed toy which incorporates a rubber balloon (Japanese Utility Model Registration No. 3082242).
With these types of stuffed toys, since the volume thereof can be reduced by drawing air from the stuffing component, the toys are advantageous when being attempted to be transported and stowed.
Namely, while stuffed toys which are stuffed with a stuffing material such as cotton have difficulty in reducing their volumes even if they are compressed very hard, with the stuffed toys incorporating therein the balloon (ball), since the volumes thereof can easily be adjusted by inflating or contracting the balloon (ball) incorporated in the toys as required, they are very convenient when being shipped as products and stowed after play.
However, since the toys can be only played with in the same way as the normal stuffed toys (stuffed with the stuffing material such as cotton), the novel configuration that the balloon is incorporated has not been enjoyed sufficiently.
Due to this, there have been demands for improvement in the range of play the toys can provide by expanding the range, so that the user can play pleasantly therewith.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Then, the present invention was made in view of the situations, and an object thereof is to provide a ball toy set with a stuffed toy-like cover which is improved so as to provide joyful plays.
The present invention provides a toy set which can be played with in a plurality of ways, comprising a hollow soft resin ball toy 3 which can be inflated by introducing air into an interior thereof, a stuffed toy-like cover 4 which can detachably be placed over an exterior side of the ball toy 3 and a rubber string-like yo-yo string 2 which is detachably connected to the ball toy 3, wherein the stuffed toy-like cover 4 is formed by sewing cloth in such a manner as to exhibit an external appearance of a figure as a whole, wherein the stuffed toy-like cover 4 has a ball installation opening 41 formed therein, wherein a fastener 42 is sewn to a circumferential edge portion of the ball installation opening 41, and wherein a rubber string tying portion 33 is provided on the ball toy 3 in such a manner as to erect therefrom which is formed into a thin sheet-like shape as a whole and which has a connecting hole which is opened therein and to which the yo-yo string 2 is tied.
Furthermore, the present invention provides a ball toy set as set forth above, wherein an air injection port 31 is provided on the ball toy 3, wherein an air plug 32, which is formed into a rod-like shape as a whole, is provided in the air injection port 31 in such a manner as to be inserted thereinto in such a state that the air plug 32 is movable in an axial direction of the air injection port, wherein the air plug 32 has a thick shaft portion 32 a formed at a proximal portion thereof, a thin shaft portion 32 b formed at an intermediate portion thereof and made thinner than a hole diameter of the air injection port, and a dislocation preventive piece 32 c formed at a distal end portion thereof and made wider than the hole diameter of the air injection port 31.
Then, in addition to the configurations that have been described above, according to the present invention, feet 43 and a head 42 of the figure are formed three-dimensionally on the stuffed toy-like cover 4 by sewing thereto cloth that is so shaped, and the ball installation opening 41 is disposed substantially at the center of a location which corresponds to the back of the figure.
Then, according to the present invention, the stuffed toy-like cover 4, the ball toy 3 and the yo-yo string 2 are accommodated in the interior of a wrapping bag 5 so as to be sold as a set.
Consequently, according to the present invention, there can be provided a combination toy which can provide various types of plays through combination of the ball toy 3, the yo-yo string 2 and the stuffed toy-like cover 4: only the ball toy 3 is used to enjoy playing with a ball or a ball play; in addition, the yo-yo string 2 is attached to the ball toy 3 to enjoy playing with a yo-yo; and furthermore, the stuffed toy-like cover 4 is placed over the ball toy 3 to enjoy not only playing with a stuffed toy but also playing with a yo-yo now having the shape of the figure.
Furthermore, according to the present invention, since the air plug 32, which has formed at the distal end portion thereof the dislocation preventive piece 32 c which is made wider than the hole diameter of the air injection port, is provided in the air injection port in such a manner as to be inserted thereinto in such a state that the air plug 32 is movable in the axial direction of the air injection port, there can be provided a combination toy which can eliminate a risk of the air plug being lost erroneously when air is injected into the ball toy 3 or discharged therefrom.
Then, according to the present invention, since the feet 43 and the head 42 of the figure are formed three-dimensionally, by putting the ball toy 3 in the stuffed toy-like cover 4, the stuffed toy-like cover 4 is allowed to be erected three-dimensionally to such an extent that the external appearance of the cover so erected can avoid looking unnatural, thereby making it possible to use it as a normal stuffed toy.
In addition, according to the present invention, since the ball toy 3 is formed of soft resin foam, the ball toy 3 that is filled with air becomes such as to be soft and rich in flexibility, and therefore, the ball toy 3 can still remain as a relatively safe toy even in the event that a child user throws the ball toy strongly during a play.
Furthermore, according to the present invention, by having the stuffed toy-like cover 4, the ball toy 3 and the yo-yo string 2 accommodated in the single wrapping bag 5 for sale as a set, there can be provided a ball toy set with which children can devise various ways of play.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a drawing which shows an external appearance of a ball toy set according to a first embodiment of the invention,
FIG. 2 is a drawing which shows an internal configuration of the ball toy set according to the first embodiment,
FIG. 3 is a drawing which shows a back of the ball toy set according to the first embodiment,
FIG. 4 is a drawing which shows an example of how to play with the ball toy set according to the first embodiment,
FIG. 5 is a drawing which shows a state in which a yo-yo string is attached to a ball toy,
FIG. 6 is a drawing which shows a state in which the ball toy is rolled as a ball,
FIG. 7 is a drawing which shows a state in which the ball set is separated into respective constituent members, which are then folded over, and
FIG. 8 is a drawing which shows a state in which the ball toy 3, a stuffed toy-like cover 4 and the yo-yo string 2 are accommodated in a wrapping bag 5.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

A combination toy, which can be played with in a plurality of ways, includes as a set a hollow soft resin ball toy 3 which can be inflated by introducing air into an interior thereof, a stuffed toy-like cover 4 which can detachably be placed over an exterior side of the ball toy 3 and a yo-yo string 2 made of a rubber string which is detachably connected to the ball toy 3, which can provide a plurality of types of play.
The stuffed toy-like cover 4 is formed by sewing cloth so as to exhibit the external appearance of a figure such as an animal or animation character as a whole. Feet 43 and a head 42 of the figure are formed three-dimensionally on the stuffed toy-like cover 4 by sewing cloth thereto, and a ball installation opening 41 is disposed at substantially the center of a location which corresponds to the back of the figure. Then, a faster 42 is sewn to a circumferential edge portion of the ball installation opening 41 for freely opening and closing the ball installation opening 41.
On the other hand, the ball toy 3 is molded into a substantially spherical shape of a soft resin foam, and a rubber string tying portion 33 is provided on the ball toy 3 in such a manner as to erect therefrom which is formed into a thin sheet-like shape as a whole and which has a connecting hole which is opened therein and to which the yo-yo string 2 is tied.
Furthermore, an air injection port 31 is provided on the ball toy 3, and an air plug 32, which is formed into a rod-like shape as a whole, is provided in the air injection port 31 in such a manner as to be inserted thereinto in such a state that the air plug 32 is movable in an axial direction of the air injection port.
A thick shaft portion 32 a is formed at a proximal portion of the air plug 32 in such a manner as to be snugly fitted in the air injection port 31, a thin rod-like shaft portion 32 b is formed at an intermediate portion of the air plug 32 which is thinner than a hole diameter of the air injection port 31, and a dislocation preventive piece 32 c is formed at a distal end portion of the air plug 32 which has a collar portion which is made wider than the hole diameter of the air injection port 31.
The yo-yo string 2 is a rubber string which is formed of natural rubber into something like a wide rubber band and can be attached to the ball toy 3 by passing one end of a rubber string 21 through the rubber string tying portion 33 to be tied with the other end thereof.
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail by reference to the drawings.
Firstly, referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described.
FIG. 1 shows an external appearance of a ball toy set according to the first embodiment of the invention, FIG. 2 shows an internal configuration of a ball toy set 1 according to the embodiment, and FIG. 3 shows a state in which the ball toy set 1 according to the embodiment is shown from the back thereof.
As shown in the figures, the ball toy set according to the embodiment includes a ball toy 3, a stuffed toy-like cover 4 and a yo-yo string 2, and the stuffed toy-like cover 4 is placed over the ball toy 3 and the yo-yo string 2 is attached thereto.
Configuration of the Ball Toy 3
The ball toy 3 is molded of vinyl chloride foam into a hollow spherical shape through molding, and a rubber string tying portion 33 is provided on the ball toy 3 in such a manner as to erect therefrom which is formed into a thin sheet-like shape as a whole and which has a connecting hole which is opened therein and to which the yo-yo string 2 is tied. Furthermore, an air injection port 31 is provided on this ball toy 3, and an air plug 32, which is formed into a rod-like shape as a whole, is provided in the air injection port 31 in such a manner as to be inserted thereinto in such a state that the air plug 32 is movable in an axial direction of the air injection port.
A thick shaft portion 32 a is formed at a proximal portion of the air plug, a thin shaft portion 32 b, which is thinner than a hole diameter of the air injection port, is formed at an intermediate portion of the air plug, and a dislocation preventive piece 32 c, which is made wider than the hole diameter of the air injection port, is formed at a distal end portion of the air plug.
Configuration of the Stuffed Toy-Like Cover 4
The stuffed toy-like cover 4 is formed in such a manner as to exhibit the external appearance of a frog as a whole by sewing thereto cloth such as a pile fabric, and feet 43 and a head 42 of the figure are formed three-dimensionally on the stuffed toy-like cover 4 by sewing the cloth. As shown in FIG. 3, a ball installation opening 41 is disposed on the stuffed toy-like cover 4 substantially at the center of a location which corresponds to the back of the frog, and a Hook-and-Loop fastener 42 is sewn to a circumferential edge portion of the ball installation opening 41 in such a manner as to freely open and close the ball installation opening 41.
Configuratin of the Yo-Yo String 2
The yo-yo string 2 is a rubber string which is formed of natural rubber into something like a wide rubber band and is made to have a length of on the order of 10 cm, a width of on the order of 5 mm and a thickness of on the order of 0.5 mm when the string is contracted. The yo-yo string 2 can be attached to the ball toy 3 by passing one end of a rubber string 21 through the connecting hole in the rubber string tying portion 33 and tying the end with the other end of the rubber string 21.
In addition, a finger hook portion 22, which is molded of resin into a ring, can also be tied to the yo-yo string 2.
Next, referring to FIGS. 4 to 6, the usage of the ball toy set 1 according to the first embodiment will be described. The ball toy set 1 according to the first embodiment can be played with as a yo-yo in such a state that the stuffed toy-like cover 4 is placed over the ball toy 3 which is filled with air to be inflated as shown in FIG. 4. In addition, the ball toy set 1 can also be played with a stuffed toy in this state.
Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 5, the ball toy set 1 can be played with as a yo-yo in such a state that the stuffed toy-like cover 4 is removed. In addition, the ball toy set 1 can also be played with as a ball in this state.
Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 6, with the yo-yo string 2 removed, the ball toy set 1 can be played with as a ball like a normal ball by being rolled or thrown.
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described by reference to FIGS. 7 and 8.
FIG. 7 shows a state in which a ball toy set according to the embodiment is separated into constituent members, which are then folded over, and FIG. 8 shows a state in which the respective constituent members shown in FIG. 7 are accommodated in a wrapping bag 5.
As shown in FIG. 8, the ball toy set according to the embodiment includes a ball toy 3, a stuffed toy-like cover 4 and a yo-yo string 2 which are accommodated in the wrapping bag 5 as a set.
The ball toy 3 and the stuffed toy-like cover 4 are folded over on themselves so as to be made compact as shown in FIG. 7 and are then accommodated together with the yo-yo string 2 in the interior of the wrapping bag 5 which is formed of a transparent film.
The toy according to the embodiment can be packed in the bag for sale as has been described above and be played with by being combined arbitrarily based on creative and inventive ideas of children who buy the product.
Thus, the toys according to the embodiments are configured as has been described heretofore and can be configured as will be below.
As to the toy-like cover 4, it can take not only the shape of frog but also other shapes such as those of other animals, animation characters, monsters, robots and the like.
In addition, as to the shape of the ball toy 3, in addition to the spherical shape, other shapes such as cubes and prisms can be taken.
Additionally, as the fastener provided on the ball installation opening 42, in stead of the Hook-and-Loop fastener, a zip fastener can be provided.
In addition, as to the shape of the yo-yo string 2, the shape is not limited to the ring-like shape but may be in the form of a single rubber string. As to the material thereof, a rubber such as urethane rubber other than the natural rubber may be used, provided that material used is a rubber material having the contraction and expansion properties.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

According to the present invention, the ball toy set can be provided which can be played with not only as a ball but also as a yo-yo.

Claims

1. A toy set which can be played with in a plurality of ways, comprising:

a hollow soft resin ball toy 3 which can be inflated by introducing air into an interior thereof; a stuffed toy-like cover 4 which can detachably be placed over an exterior side of the ball toy 3; and a rubber string-like yo-yo string 2 which can detachably be connected to the ball toy 3, wherein

the stuffed toy-like cover 4 is formed by sewing cloth in such a manner as to exhibit an external appearance of a figure as a whole, wherein the stuffed toy-like cover 4 has a ball installation opening 41 formed therein, wherein a fastener 42 is sewn to a circumferential edge portion of the ball installation opening 41, and wherein a rubber string tying portion 33 is provided on the ball toy 3 in such a manner as to erect therefrom which is formed into a thin sheet-like shape as a whole and which has a connecting hole which is opened therein and to which the yo-yo string 2 is tied.

2. A ball toy set as set forth in claim 1, wherein an air injection port 31 is provided on the ball toy 3, wherein an air plug 32, which is formed into a rod-like shape as a whole, is provided in the air injection port 31 in such a manner as to be inserted thereinto in such a state that the air plug 32 is movable in an axial direction of the air injection port, and wherein the air plug 32 has a thick shaft portion 32 a formed at a proximal portion thereof, a thin shaft portion 32 b formed at an intermediate portion thereof and made thinner than a hole diameter of the air injection port, and a dislocation preventive piece 32 c formed at a distal end portion thereof and made wider than the hole diameter of the air injection port 31.

3. A ball toy set as set forth in claim 1, wherein feet 43 and a head 42 of the figure are formed three-dimensionally on the stuffed toy-like cover 4 by sewing thereto cloth that is so shaped, and wherein the ball installation opening 41 is disposed substantially at a center of a location which corresponds to a back of the figure.

4. A ball toy set as set forth in claim 2, wherein feet 43 and a head 42 of the figure are formed three-dimensionally on the stuffed toy-like cover 4 by sewing thereto cloth that is so shaped, and wherein the ball installation opening 41 is disposed substantially at a center of a location which corresponds to a back of the figure.

5. A ball toy set as set forth in claim 1, wherein the ball toy 3 is formed of a soft resin form.

6. A ball toy set as set forth in claim 2, wherein the ball toy 3 is formed of a soft resin form.

7. A ball toy set as set forth in claim 3, wherein the ball toy 3 is formed of a soft resin form.

8. A ball toy set as set forth in claim 4, wherein the ball toy 3 is formed of a soft resin form.

9. A ball toy set as set forth in claim 1, wherein the stuffed toy-like cover 4, the ball toy 3 and the yo-yo string 2 are accommodated in a wrapping bag 5 for sale as set.

10. A ball toy set as set forth in claim 3, wherein the stuffed toy-like cover 4, the ball toy 3 and the yo-yo string 2 are accommodated in a wrapping bag 5 for sale as set.

11. A ball toy set as set forth in claim 4, wherein the stuffed toy-like cover 4, the ball toy 3 and the yo-yo string 2 are accommodated in a wrapping bag 5 for sale as set.

12. A ball toy set as set forth in claim 5, wherein the stuffed toy-like cover 4, the ball toy 3 and the yo-yo string 2 are accommodated in a wrapping bag 5 for sale as set.

13. A ball toy set as set forth in claim 7, wherein the stuffed toy-like cover 4, the ball toy 3 and the yo-yo string 2 are accommodated in a wrapping bag 5 for sale as set.

14. A ball toy set as set forth in claim 8, wherein the stuffed toy-like cover 4, the ball toy 3 and the yo-yo string 2 are accommodated in a wrapping bag 5 for sale as set.